Digital Publishing

On the heels of its Snapchat Discover launch, The Washington Post says it will provide up-to-the-minute news on the channel throughout the day. While most publishers have editions that update daily or weekly, The Post will be updating its content no less than twice daily in an attempt to provide users with the latest breaking news. How will The Post fit in on Snapchat? According to Christopher Meighan, Director of Emerging News Products for The Washington Post, the need for breaking news on Snapchat is one the brand is prepared to fill. Meighan pointed out that although social media is on the pulse of what’s happening right now, current publishers on Snapchat Discover haven’t been up to this point. Currently, between two and five Post staffers handle content sourcing and creation for Snapchat Discover, a number that fluctuates depending on the amount of news breaking on a particular day. Although the main focus will be on breaking news stories, long written features and visual content pieces will also be a big part of the channel. The Post plans to increase its video team to around 70 staffers; there are 40 currently on board. Meighan revealed that the focus isn’t just in the video department — copy editors, designers, social media specialists and motion graphics experts will also be part of the Snapchat venture. The goal? To produce fresh, visually appealing content that keeps users coming back. Is there an industry-wide shift to publishing on Snapchat? The Washington Post is one of the many media brands that have recently made a move to Snapchat. In the past couple of years that Discover has been a Snapchat feature, around 40 different publishers have established a presence, including Refinery29, CNN, and BuzzFeed. Time Inc. has been a partner with Discover since its inception; the brand recently announced that Essence and Entertainment Weekly will also have a place on Snapchat Discover. With well over 60 million Snapchat users daily in the U.S. and Canada alone, it’s not surprising to SODP that The Washington Post and other brands are flocking to the site. The Post has already invested in video ads and video content on its website, so making the move to Discover was a natural next step. Snapchat a way to attract young readers? Another factor that’s likely spurring publishers to partner with Snapchat Discover is its massive Millenial user base — the majority of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 and 24. By putting exciting visual content in front of young users, The Washington Post may garner a whole new crop of dedicated readers. Will you be tuning into The Washington Post or other big media brands on Snapchat Discover, or do you have plans to leverage Snapchat for your own digital publishing efforts? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at vahe@stateofdigitalpublishing.com.

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